The White Hart

Like so many pubs, the White Hart has quite a history. It was built in Henry VI's reign by the executors of the lord of the manor as accommodation for a chantry priest and five almsmen. By 1548, chantries had been abolished and it was sold to St John's College, Oxford, whose tenants converted it into a drinking establishment. The interior is breathtaking, with an arch-braced roof and a tunnel - probably an escape route for priests during the Dissolution of the Monasteries - running from the low-ceilinged bar to the manor house. The main restaurant is a grand hall of a place with soaring eaves and beams, huge stone-flanked windows and flagstone floors, overlooked by a minstrel's gallery. Mark and Kay are passionate about serving food that is fresh, using seasonal produce of the highest quality from mostly local suppliers, with meats sourced from trusted farms and estates; only fish, delivered fresh from Brixham six times a week, needs to travel. Mark and his team prepare everything fresh daily, even the bread and pasta, which is made with flour from the local mill. Menus change frequently to offer fish, antipasti and meze boards to share; salmon fillet with beetroot risotto and horseradish foam; slow-roasted belly of Kelmscott pork with celeriac purée, crackling and cider jus; and lentil, spinach and paneer cheese tart with spiced cauliflower and coriander yoghurt. Home-made ice creams and sorbets always slip down well to round things off. The wine list is varied and constantly evolving, with several 'wines of the month' allowing customers to try something a bit different. An annual beer festival is held during the May Day bank holiday, with hog roasts and at least 13 real ales.

6m S of Oxford just off A420 (Oxford to Swindon road)
Nearest station: Didcot/Oxford
Nearest motorway: M40 junct 9/M4 junct 13

Find your way with AA atlases, books and maps
Plan a route to this location »  The White Hart, Fyfield